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Supplement improved cognitive functioning in older adults
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A nutritional supplement high in antioxidants and other natural components improved cognitive processing speeds among older adults, according to study results published in Rejuvenation Research.
Researchers conducted a double blind, placebo-controlled trial to examine the effects a nutritional supplement had on older adults’ cognitive functioning. The mean age of the study participants was 73.6 years, and they had no diagnosed memory disorders. The supplement contained blueberries, carnosine, green tea and vitamin D3. Fifty-two study participants were randomly assigned the supplement while 53 participants were assigned a placebo. Cognitive tests evaluating episodic memory, processing speed, verbal ability, working memory, executive functioning and complex speed were administered at baseline and 2 months.
According to the study findings, participants in the supplement group experienced improved cognitive processing speed, whereas those in the placebo group did not.
“Processing speed is most often affected early on in the course of cognitive aging. Successful performance in processing tasks often underlies more complex cognitive outcomes, such as memory and verbal ability,” study researcher Brent Small, PhD, said in a press release.
The results also showed that the supplement was well tolerated by older adults; adverse effects did not differ between the supplement and placebo groups.
“The basis for the use of polyphenol-rich nutritional supplements as a moderator of age-related cognitive decline is the age-related increase in oxidative stress and inflammation. Non-vitamin polyphenols are the most abundant modulators of oxidative stress and inflammation in our diet. [The supplement] is 95% polyphenols,” study researcher Paula C. Bickford, PhD, said in the release.
Disclosure: Two of theresearchers are co-founders of Natura Therapeutics, the company that developed and markets the supplement, NT-020.